Add a new page

This village is little more than a logging camp, and many of the buildings here are temporary summer dwellings, uninhabitable during the harsh Finnish Winter. With no proper road leading here, Toravaara is a large clearing in the middle of the ever-present forest, with a loose scattering of log cabins and wooden houses arranged in a staggered circle - the houses are spaced far from each other, and a few solitary dwellings can be found further in the depths of the forest itself. Small pathways broad enough for a horse to barely navigate have been shovelled into the thick snow to connect the inhabited houses to each other, and to the small trails leading off into the forest.

It is currently dusk.

This is an arctic environment, with a temperature of -22 degrees Celsius.

Luukas is currently in the bed that seems to've been his in the camp before the war. The young man's resting after all the effort of the battle and evacuation, a single photograph of an older man with similar features, in a White Finn air force uniform standing before a biplane is stuck with a tack above the bed.

Erkki crawled into a corner of the house late in the evening after doing a sweep of the village, looting anything of use and having been off to the nearby cabin up a bit northwest. From there he brought back some clothes, blankets and other useful items. He came back late, fell right asleep and has slept for ten hours straight when he awakes with a start at some sound, sitting up straight.

Korhonen has also found bed to collapse in. It's rare to see the doctor off his feet but it seems he finally reached his limit. He's sleeping, but the way his head moves at the various noises made around the house suggest it isn't a particularly heavy sleep. His two younger daughters, the teenage Marja and Kati, are curled up in a bed nearby. Both managed to escape the farmhouse near Raatavaara and are now, mercifully, sleeping much deeper than their father.

Arto is already awake, although he's doing nothing more than nursing some coffee that he's scrounged from somewhere. He seems to be just sitting there on a chair by the wall, staring in to space, frowning slightly as if in thought. It looks odd, but Erkki would know that he just -does- that sometimes.

Sonja is not sleeping, she is pacing around, restless. Baby Henrik is however sleeping, on a bed, wrapped up in a pile of blankets, here to make Korhonen feel old.

The dawn air, not warmed at all by the still-rising sun, is chill, still, and crisp. Absolute silence reigns over the forest around the camp, a landscape completely motionless under a blanket of white. Suddenly, a bit of movement can be seen, disturbing the peacefulness only briefly, only slightly. A slight discolouration; a white that does not match the white around it…in the shape of a man.
Magnus looked down at the camp, a slight frown adorning his young face as he peered at the cabins below. People had come last night while he had been deeper in the woods hunting…the fruits of which lie in the snow behind him; a beautiful, large deer and several rabbits. Loading his rifle, he briefly considered simply waiting things out…but people were depending on him to keep the cabins as secure as possible, so valour won out over discretion. Silently, he began to creep forward on his belly, using his adequate training in stealth to avoid making a sound.

Erkki gets up and pulls his shirt on, his clothes piled up nearby and the machine gun on the other side, more because he just dropped it there yesterday rather than any feeling of possessiveness towards the weapon. Considering there's no ammunition for it, he might as well use it as a club, anyway. "There any coffee?" he rasps at Arto with his morning voice. Asking for coffee seems to be his way of beginning almost any conversation, and he walks towards the stove, having to pass by the pacing Sonja as he does. It's causing him to have to stop and take one step to the side, possibly ending up doing that silly dance with someone when both try to move in the same direction.

Luukas opens his eyes as he hears the word coffee mentioned, groaning slightly with a rub to his shoulder as it sits up more straighter in the bed. "Did we lose anyone last night?" asked of no one in particular. The banages on that shoulder and his leg don't seem to be getting soggy with blood. The wounds are healing over.

The doctor is not a young man, and he's feeling his age more than ever these days. For a moment he just sits there, allowing himself to come awake. Then he takes a long look around the room, checking up on his daughters. He smiles faintly at sleeping Marja and Kati. Erkki's receives a frown as he dances around Sonja.

Arto makes a grunting noise and points Erkki at the stove. A few seconds pass, and then he eventually snaps out of it and blinks a bit. "I don't think so," he replies to Luukas, absently. "We did well, considering." That said, he stands up and stretches, making his spine pop, and concludes; "Auuughghrgnnngh, ow."

Sonja shakes her head in the negative, and pipes up at Luukas' words. "Viinikainen was shot badly, two grazes and a solid hit, but he's still alive. Nobody is gone, though.". She ignores Erkki, but when Henrik stirs, she picks him up, and stands there looking somewhat imperious.

Luukas leans forward to rub his injured leg, a palm and thumb over the bandage before reaching to draw in clothes from the pile he'd left them in beside the bed to put on under the covers. "Mr. Viinikainen was the sentry that first spotted them, I think. He must've stayed on that slope to give us time to move out." He turns to draw his feet out from under the covers to pull socks on. "Wish we had a radio." commented to himself.

Magnus hears noises from inside one of the cabins…but only faintly. Only a about a dozen yards away, the natural stillness of the surrounding forest along with the coldness of the air allows him to hear better…but not make out any details. Magnus pauses and becomes still, peering from right to left and straining his ears for other signs of life…so far, nothing. After a few moments of stillness he again begins to move forward once more, keeping as much snow and trees between him and the cabin windows as possible.

Erkki gets his coffee and takes an immediate sip of it, letting out a deep, content sigh. He needs a bath, he's not smelling very good right now, but no doubt, quite a few others don't smell too good either. He glances at Sonja and the boy, watching the two thoughtfully for a moment, then remembers Korhonen and straightens up, adressing him. "Jari going to be fine then?" he asks, hiding his worry behind a nonchalant pose. "He owes me some money."

"Radio," Arto repeats, overhearing that bit. "I'll add that to my shopping list." He chugs back the rest of the coffee, then sets the mug down on the chair's seat so that someone can accidentally knock it over later. Then, he shuts up to listen for a moment.

Korhonen finally gets up, with many a creaking of joints. He stretches with a groan, turning to answer Erkki. That cold look he always levels at the man is still present but it's muted now. Even if he doesn't like the man, his concern for Viinikainen is worth something. "He will live," he replies, a note of concern in his voice. "But he needs much rest. I do not think he will be ready to move for some time. His arm will require careful treatment, and I want to get the bullet out of his chest before it causes any serious problems."

"I think you will get your money back, unless you end up in a gulag in Siberia." Sonja says drily, taking Erkki's words at face value apparently. "He is well enough, given what happened to him.".

Luukas grits his teeth hearing of a bullet in the chest of the local leader of the Civic Guard. A lean to grab a boot, pulling it on with his foot pushing in, keeps him occupied for a moment as he also does the same to the other. "I hate the Reds." muttered with a dark frown as his face turns in the direction of the east. "Maybe some of us could do a recon to see how many Russians are holding Puras."

Magnus is less than three yards away from the cabin's outermost wall when he hears a female voice. A slight frown adorns his face, the thought of possibly having to point a gun at a woman filling his mouth with a bad taste…but duty is duty. Coming to a crouching-stand, he moves next to the cabin and braces himself against the wall, again stopping long enough to listen and observe…before making his way gradually around to the left side of the cabin and coming to his feet. Watching the front door from around the corner, he lifts his hand and slaps it three times heavily against the wall, the business end of his rifle pointed at the front door.

Erkki squints over to where Jari is resting, and nods at Korhonen. "Get it out today if you can," he says matter of factly. "Don't think we can stay here very long." At that, he glances at Luukas to see if he agrees, then he stiffens as he hears something odd. "Did you hear that?" he asks quietly, raising a hand to hush people.

Korhonen's back stiffens at Erkki's words. "I will operate as quickly as I can, but I shall not put his life in jeopardy for speed. And you, Erkki, shall not tell me how to treat my patients. See to your work. I shall see to mine." But the sound outside stops him from saying anything more. He moves to stand in front of Marja and Kati's bed, where the girls are still blessedly sleeping. He nods to Erkki, easing his puukko knife out. He heard.

Arto scratches the abck of his neck and looks over at Korhonen. "We can still stick him on the sled and transport him from point A to point B if we need to in a pinch, correct?" he asks. "He seemed quite mobile still on the way here." Luukas' words get a slight nod, even if Arto doesn't really offer anything constructive on that - he's cut short by the sound of the knock, and promptly shuts up, signalling to Erkki that he's heard it.

Topi has been asleep, but wakes up at the sound of the knock, and frowning a little bit. "What was that?" he mutters, mostly to himself, looking around at the others, with a bit of a frown.

Sonja snorts at Erkki, and reaches out to pat her father on the shoulder. "I need some sleep, I have been unable to rest lately, but I feel like I'm about to fall over.".
And so she heads over to the bed where Henrik was sleeping, and stretches out.

Luukas slides off the bed in a hurry, despite not yet having an outer shirt on. A grab for his Mosin-Nagant from the wall, holding the bayonet pointing outwards. "It wasn't from the door. I heard three thumps, like knocks, on the wall." quickly. "Think it's a Finn?" asked of those from Raatevaara.

Magnus rolls his eyes a bit, but smiles when no-one emerges,"Smart, careful bastards, aren't you?" he mutters softly to himself, his quiet voice making him sound even quieter when whispering,"Let's try again…" he adds, reaching up and banging on the wall even harder.

"No idea," Erkki replies quietly, "but whoever it is is trying to draw us out," he surmises after that second obvious banging on the wall. Standing at the side of the door, his back towards the wall Magnus is pounding on from the outside, he reaches for the door handle of the door and opens it up a notch.

Topi grumbles a little as he hears those new bangings on the wall, "Better stay inside and wait for whoever it is to try entering," he offers, as he reaches out to grab his Pystykorva, and get to his feet. He checks the weapon for a few moments, before pointing it towards the door that's been opened up a notch.

Arto reaches for the rifle that's leaning against the wall next to his chair. Yes, he's paranoid, although he just holds it by the barrel so that he can use it as a club rather than anything else.

"Get some rest," Korhonen says quietly to Sonja. "And watch over Henrik. We shall see to this. It is probably nothing but the wind." It's obviously not, but it seems a comforting thing to say. The two younger Korhonen girls stir as the pounding gets louder. Kati lets out a startled exclamation, but Korhonen puts his hand over the girl's mouth to stifle any actual screaming. "Silence," he says to them gravely.

Luukas draws in his breath, his compact chest tightening. "Who is it?" called out firmly, but not in a shout. The voice then lowers to a whisper to speak to the others inside, "If someone's right outside close enough to touch the wall, they know someone's in here." A gesture of his bayonet towards the woodburning stove and the smoke rising from the cabin.

Magnus blinks slightly as a familiar voice calls out. He scowls, biting his lower lip in indecision. It could be his mind playing tricks on him…hoping to hear a familiar voice after being alone for a long period of time. He kept himself cool, denying the growing hope inside of him…instead, he calls out to the speaker,"Who I am is my own business. You come out, and we'll discuss this situation face to face like men…bring a weapon if you would feel better doing so, but remember that I have my finger on the trigger and will shoot if I feel threatened."

Topi grins at Luukas, "Unless it's someone that just enjoys knocking on walls," he offers, with a bit of a grin. He then hears the words from outside, and frowns a little bit. "Not good," he offers, moving over in the direction of the door, a bit slowly.

Erkki looks less tense as the answer comes in Finnish, but not relaxing entirely - some Russians know finnish rather well. "Listen, you fleabitten rat, just step up to the door unarmed and we won't shoot you," he calls out towards Magnus, having had enough of this.

"Oh for the love of…" Arto mutters, still eyeing the door - he raises his voice to shout back, "For god's sake, man, stop being so damn cryptic and say who you are! Is it that hard? If your name isn't Ivan, then we're unlikely to give that much of a fu-…" Oh, wait, there's women in the room. Nevermind.

Marja Korhonen starts to cry softly at the sound of Magnus' voice from outside. Finnish-sounding or not, the girls have been strained to the point where it barely matters. "Are the Russians coming again, Papa?" little Kati asks, cluthing a wooden rabbit she's been carrying around tightly in her palm. Korhonen shakes his head, trying to look confident and unruffled. "Not the Russians, girls. Do not worry about it.

Luukas 's Ostrobothnian now-unshaven face goes red, anger heating up in the short compact man with the build of a boar. He tosses the Russian rifle aside, stomping out in his boots, woolen trousers, and undershirt, turning to round the corner as if to meet the man face to face and up front and personal.

Topi mutters as he sees Luukas head out, shaking his head a little. "Crazy kid…" It's muttered in Swedish, for some reason.

Erkki is getting more stressed about this than about getting shot at, almost, cause this is another kind of stress. He squeezes the rifle uncertainly but momentum is stolen from him anyway as Luukas suddenly stalks past him and heads out. "Hey, wa—" he begins but is too late. Marja starting to cry and Kati's question, causes him to shoot a frustrated look at the Korhonen family. "You should get the oldest ones a rifle each," he suggests to the doctor. "THey might need them soon." Cheerful, isn't he. Then he stalks on out after Luukas to see what the heck is going on.

Magnus feels guilt wash over him at the sound of a younger girls' voice…bad enough that there was a woman inside, but a girl too? His rifle lowers slightly for a moment, his gentle nature momentarily replacing his training and duty…before the angry stomps bring him back to reality and force his rifle up once more. When Luukas emerges, all he can do for a few moments is stare in wide-eye shock, barely noticing the man try to grab him,"Luukas, is that really you?" he asks, his rifle very nearly falling out of his hands…fortunately, he remembers the damn thing is loaded and doesn't let it drop,"I…I don't believe it…" he adds, not noticing the other man following.

Arto glances to Korhonen's daughters, and looks like he wants to try and say something helpful… But can't seem to think of anything. So he watches with a rather blank expression as Luukas storms out, and remains rooted to the spot.

Korhonen's jaw tenses angrily at Erkki. "I shall see to my family. I need no advice from you on how to care for -my- children." His tone is level and pointed, but he keeps his voice low. They have other concerns just now. He puts his arms protectively around Marja and Kati. Marja is still weeping. Kati has her neck craned around, trying to watch the confrontation. Half scared, half excited.

Luukas storms around the corner, his boots sinking deep in the snow each step. The young Ostrobothnian lumberjack makes a reach for Magnus, but the boots in deep snow fail to give him the reach. "Magnus Jalo, the Devil take you!" called out in an angry curse. "What do you think you're doing?" He looks almost ready to reach again, but perhaps Magnus's surprise and reaction when recognizing Luukas has given him a moment's pause. But his skin is flushed with blood, temper raised, perhaps as part of the adrenaline rush as his half-clothed body fights the cold.

Magnus backs off a bit, lowering his weapon completely,"I…guarding this place, like I was supposed to. I was out hunting for meat and didn't get back until a little while ago. When I saw fresh signs of people having arrived…I didn't know…god, I'm sorry!" he says, his tone truly remorseful,"Had I known…had I known who it was that had come, I would have provided a much better welcome."

Topi looks around at the others inside the building, shrugging a little. "Looks like there's no battle going on out there," he offers, with a bit of a shrug.

"But you do need my help in keeping them alive," Erkki says bluntly to the doctor before he's out the door, and walking around the cabin to see what the hell is going on. Coming up on the scene just in time to hear the last of what Magnus said, he looks uncertainly to Luukas. "Want me to knife him?" he asks, sounding faintly hopeful.

Arto leaves his rifle inside, and moves to the doorframe so that he can stick his head out of it - for the sake of eavesdropping, if nothing else. "Behave," he mutters at Erkki.

Korhonen sticks close to his daughters, his puukko at the ready. "We need no help from you," he tells Erkki flatly. "And we want none. You have chosen what is your business, Erkki. Stay to it. And stay clear of mine." That said he waits, uncertainly, as the confrontation between Luukas and Magnus takes place. He can see little of it from where he's crouched with his children.

Luukas huffs out his breath, the reaction from the other forester not giving his anger cause to flare. "Just get inside…" muttered a bit tersely, looking away for a moment towards the southern line of trees and frozen swamp. "There's women and girls and a little kid, Magnus. The Russians are hunting us, just blasted the last hideout yesterday." Luukas swallows once, then regains a firm look on his face as he returns his eyes to Magnus, "Good to see you still alive, but get inside and we'll talk about it." A turn to gruffly add towards Erkki, "He's part of my crew." as if that says all.

Erkki shoots his brother a sour look. Older brothers, they're such a pain, that look says. "So, no knifing then?" he asks to make sure there won't be any of that, fingering on his Puukko. It's done jokingly though, not meant seriously any longer. "Just as well, I don't want to dull the edge on someone who's not russian," he says with a grin at Magnus. "I'm Erkki Tapper-Rautakorpi from Raatevaara, that is my brother Arto and the rest can introduce themselves," he says, then turns and heads on back in to the cabin.

Magnus quirks an eyebrow at Erkki, clearly not intimidated by the earlier threat, but listens to Luukas and nods,"Yes sir…I'd get my catch first before wild animals get it, though…give me a minute," he says, turning around and placing his rifle against the cabin. Then, he quickly jogs back into the woods to retrieve his deer and rabbits, glad that he had decided to stock up his supplies and would have enough food for everyone.

Topi shakes his head a little at the exchange between the Doctor and Erkki, shaking his head a little. "Bad blood between the two of you?" he asks in Korhonen's direction, before he looks out again, a bit thoughtfully.

Arto mutters under his breath and heads back inside, finding an empty bed for himself. That coffee doesn't appear to have done its job very well, and caffeinated beverages can only do so much. He starts to remove his boots and outerwear, putting them in a neat pile.

"Erkki Tapper-Rautakorpi is a man without honor or responsibility," Korhonen replies flatly to Topi. He doesn't elaborate any further. But, yes. Clearly, there's bad blood. Marja stops trembling a little when it is clear Magnus isn't a Soviet. Kati takes a more direct interest in him. The 14-year-old girl stands up and practically runs over to have a look at him. "Kati!" Korhonen says sharply, following after her.

Luukas nods too, turning to follow Erkki back into the communal cabin used by the timber camp's crew. He goes in before Magnus as the slightly younger forester uses a bit to time to gather kills of game. "It's allright." muttered to the doctor and others now awake. Luukas takes a moment to scratch as his cheek, the beard now having grown for three days and getting rather itchy. "Magnus Jalo, he's one of the men in the winter crew. Didn't think any had stayed behind." commented. He plops down on his bed with a turn, scooting his Mosin-Nagant rifle over to the floor before him with a boot.

Erkki comes back inside, stomping his feet before entering to get rid of the snow on his boots. "He know the area as well as you then," Erkki surmises. "Maybe he'll have some information, he might've seen some Russians," he ponders. He smirks when seeing what Kati does and gives Korhonen an obnoxious grin, unable to stop the jab from his lips; "Kati, is it? She the one most like Sonja, eh?"

Topi shrugs a bit at the answer, and makes a mental note to ask the doctor about that later. He now looks at Magnus a bit more intently, frowning for a few moments.

Magnus lifts the deer up onto his shoulders with a grunt, then lifts the rabbits up via the rope he tied around their ankles. Turning around, he trudges back towards the cabin, his spirits lifted at finally having some company. Now that he wasn't creeping around, it didn't take long for him to return to the cabin, dropping off the game near his rifle before re-grasping the weapon and slinging it over his shoulder via its strap. Then, heading to the cabin door, he steps inside and looks around at everyone,"My appologies…if I'd known your situation and whom you were with, I would have been more friendly," he says, somewhat somberly, a guilty expression on his face. He then notices Korhonen and brightens slightly, nodding to the man in a friendly manner briefly.

Arto looks between Erkki and Korhonen and has to literally bite his tongue. On one hand, the doctor is insulting his brother. On the other hand, his brother -is- a bit of an ass. So he just keeps quiet and hawkishly watches as if observing an unfolding trainwreck, only sparing a quick glance to Magnus as he re-enters. Arto grunts at him, and apparently notes the guilty expression - it seems to make him grin ever so slightly.

Korhonen glares at Erkki with even more apparent dislike than before. "You shall not speak of Kati, or any of my daughters," he says levelly. "You shall not even look at them. You have caused enough hurt in my family." With that, he turns his attention back to Kati. She isn't paying her father, or Erkki much attention. She's more interested in Magnus. "You don't look Russian!" she declares, peering up at him. As if her approval were what truly mattered in his admittance to the cabin. Korhonen can't help but smile, putting a hand on her shoulder and shaking his head. "Forgive my daughter. She has been through much recently. I…" Suddenly, his eyes brighten with recognition on Magnus' face. "I have seen you before. You are worker in these camps, yes?"

Luukas draws up a brow as he hears what Korhonen says to Erkki, as if a bit naieve about the history behind it. He looks curiously to Erkki and then the doctor for just one moment, but his gaze doesn't linger enough to stare. It dissolves into a scowl, as the cold reminds him of stepping outside without a shirt on. Quickly he pulls his good warm outer shirt on, over his head, and buttons it up.

Erkki is at least not one prone to start fights, but he does pull his hands into fists at his sides, his jaw tensing at the doctor's level words to him. And instead of making things worse by saying something that'll make the whole scene escalate, he shuts up. His look at the doctor is neutral and unemotional, before he walks by the two and over to Arto, taking a seat next to his borther. His cigarettes are taken out and he offers one over to him, before taking on for himself.

Magnus smiles at the young girl,"No, I am not a Russian," he replies with a wink, before looking again at Korhonen and nodding,"Yes, I am…until Luukas arrived, I was the only one remaining," he says with a friendly smile, before addressing everyone as a whole,"You picked the wrong cabin to stay in, incidently…one of the other ones down the way from here has a good stock of food, wood, and latern oil…although the food is mostly dried rations," he says with a bit of a chuckle,"I will retrieve it later…or perhaps now, if you want…you must need some breakfast?"

Arto shakes his head at the offered cigarette. "Save them," he tells Erkki, keeping a weather eye on Magnus in the meantime. "I ought to try catching up on my sleep soon. Plus, if they stop you from being an irritable bastard, then you probably need them more than I do."

Topi listens a bit thoughtfully for now, shaking his head for a few moments. Although Arto's words to Erkki is overheard, and causes a bit of a grin.

"You'd better not be," Kati Korhonen replies to Magnus with a bold toss of her blonde head. "Or you'd be dead where you stand. We're going to drive the Russians out." Korhonen frowns a little at that. "Kati, go see to your sister." Kati doesn't look happy about this, but she does flounce back over to sit with Marja. Korhonen exchanges a tired smile with Magnus. "Breakfast would be most welcome, thank you. Is there anyone else left in this camp? We thought it deserted."

Erkki eyes Arto with a dull gaze, then nods and sticks the cigarette away again, lighting up his own while he idly listens to the conversations. Kati's spirited response makes him snort and open his mouth to comment - but he closes it again and just shoots a nod over at the two sisters, respectfully enough, as if he agrees with Kati on that. He does it rather discreetly, not wanting the ire of the doctor again. "I'm gonna go out and scout for a bit," he explains, standing up, suddenly in a rush to get out of the cabin as if it's stifling him.

Luukas speaks quietly, from where he's seated. "Magnus, have you seen Antero? I know he was here with you that day I left after the Russians took Raatevaara." An adjustment of his belt to tighten it a bit before sliding his Ostrobothnian knife in its sheath.

Magnus nods once to the doctor,"I'll see to it right away," he says cheerily, making ready to head out the door when Luukas speaks. Turning to face him, he frowns slightly and shakes his head,"No…I haven't seen him in awhile…I'm sorry," he says, looking grave for a moment,"I've been the only one here for awhile…I've been half-expecting a Russian infantry division to come marching up to the camp lately…"

As Erkki stands up, Arto flops back on the bed, making the frame creak. "Nnh," he replies to him, oh so eloquently - under other circumstances, he might find something more sarcastic to say, but right now, he seems more set on settling down to sleep.

Marja Korhonen looks quickly away from Erkki when he nods the sisters' way. Kati, however, tilts her head at him. As if an idea has just sparked in her head. Korhonen is still too focused on Magnus to notice any of that interplay.

Luukas offers a quiet nod to Magnus, "Okay. Well, good that you brought some fresh game. I don't think the guard leader's gonna want us to stay here long." and shrugs slightly. He reaches for a canteen, likely just filled with spring water, and takes a gulp. "I gotta shave."

Magnus nods slightly,"I'll go get some of the dry rations and cook breakfast for everyone…it's going to be fairly plain fare, but there's plenty of it. I hope you don't mind hard tack bread with strawberry preserve for toast? I'm afraid there's no fresh bread…"

Seeing that his daughters are more or less fine at the moment, Korhonen goes to a corner and starts rifling through his medical bag. There's work to be done before breakfast.

Luukas looks over to Magnus with a nod, the shorter man now standing. "Sounds good. We all need to save supplies, though. It's a long winter ahead."

Luukas heads to grab a pot of water from beside the stove, taking it towards the washroom where he can use it to shave and wash off.